By Brian Liskai ATTICA, Ohio – Byron Reed gave his son, his dad and a crew member a great birthday present at Attica Raceway Park Friday, July 28th. Reed dominated the Hammer Pallets 410 Sprint feature, leading all 30 non-stop laps for his third victory of the year at “Ohio’s Finest Racing.”

Reed’s victory on Columbus Equipment/Morgan Stanley/American Powersports/Croghan Colonial Bank Night was the 38th of his career at the track, as he sits second on the all-time 410 sprint win list. It also garnered Reed valuable points in the chase for the title of the All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads FAST 410 Championship Series presented by Ohio Logistics. The victory also gives the “north” a slight edge in the battle for Ohio with the Ohio Sprint Car Series

“I’m going to say it tonight in case I don’t win tomorrow….a bunch of birthdays this week. My son’s birthday was Tuesday, he turned 16, my dad’s birthday is tomorrow and my crew guy Kevin’s birthday is tomorrow. So happy birthday to all those guys. I also have a good friend Gary, who used to help me, here tonight. This year I don’t know what my average starting position has been but it definitely hasn’t been on the front row so it’s good to win one like that,” said Reed beside his Crown Battery backed #5.

Britton, Michigan’s Devin Shiels has finished up front consistently all season in the Summit Racing Equipment UMP Late Models, enough to come into Friday’s racing as the division point leader. He finally broke through for this first win of the season though it wasn’t easy as he battled last week’s winner Steve Kester and five time track champion Ryan Missler throughout the 25 lap feature that saw only one caution – with just four laps to go. Shiels took the lead on 10, only to surrender it back to Kester on lap 11 before retaking the top spot on lap 13. On the restart following a debris caution on lap 21, Shiels was able to pull away for his third career Attica win.

“This one means a lot. We’ve kind of been in a drought the last two years. We finally got one. I love this car. That yellow was great. The lappers were two and three wide ahead of me. It looked like the top and bottom were about even so I chose the top on the restart and kept my momentum up. I want to thank my dad…if it weren’t for him we couldn’t do this. Also my wife at home who’s dealing with fair stuff. Rally’s Hamburgers, Good Lift, Dundee Products and Magic Fountain Car Wash,” said Shiels in the Engine Pro Victory Lane.

In the Fremont Fence 305 sprint feature it looked like Matt Foos was headed to victory lane, but when he tangled with a lapped car with just three laps to go, Fremont, Ohio’s Jamie Miller inherited the lead and drove to his second feature win of the year at Attica. Miller’s 17th career victory in the division moved him to sixth on the track’s all-time win list.

The victory also rewarded Miller with valuable points in the title chase of the JLH General Contractor FAST 305 Championship Series presented by Engine Pro, though defending series champion Paul Weaver will continue to lead with a runner-up finish.

“I knew there was rubber up there in one and two but I was holding my own on the bottom so I didn’t want to move to find out for sure. I just kept waiting and waiting and waiting and then Matty (Foos) got into that lapped car and I thought on that restart it was time to try it. I have to thank Tim and Linda Merrill, they own the car, Advanced Industrial Services, Western Lake Erie Insulation, my dad, Doug, my crew…everyone that helps me out on this thing,” said Miller.

Reed and Broc Martin brought the field to green for the 30-lap, $3,000-to-win 410 sprint feature with Reed gaining the advantage. Reed steadily began to pull away while Martin battled with Cap Henry for the runner-up spot with Shawn Valenti, Adam Kekich and Jody Keegan giving chase. While Reed continued to pull away, the race behind him was spectacular involving Martin, Henry, Kekich, Stuart Brubaker, Travis Philo, Danny Smith and Jody Keegan.

At the half-way point Reed found the back of the field and Henry, who took second on lap 11, began to close. Brubaker used the lapped cars to vault into third on lap 18. Reed continued to make fantastic moves in traffic and maintained his advantage over Henry, Brubaker, Martin, Philo, Smith and Chris Andrews with seven laps to go. Reed found a little more breathing room with five laps remaining and drove to the win over Henry, Brubaker, Philo and 11th starter Smith.

Missler and Kester comprised the front row for the 25-lap late model feature and when the green flew the battle was intense. Missler led the first lap by a bumper before Kester took over on the second circuit with Missler, Shiels, and Craig Wolford staying close. Shiels stole second on lap four and quickly closed on Kester. Shiels led by a nose at the flag stand on lap 10 only to see Kester regain the lead by inches the next time at the flags.

With 15 laps to go it was a three car battle up front between Kester, Shiels and Missler. Shiels again inched ahead for the lead on lap 13 as Missler took second. The leaders raced into heavy lapped traffic with just seven laps remaining and Missler took a peak under Shiels for the lead with Kester staying close as Wolford and Mike Bores battled for fourth. The only caution of the feature came on lap 21 for one of the infield tires being moved onto the track. Now with a clear track Shiels drove away for the win over Missler, Kester, Bores and a charging Ken Hahn.

Weaver, who has six wins at Attica in 2017, and Dustin Rall brought the field to green for the 25 lap 305 sprint feature with Weaver rocketing into the lead over Rall, Matt Foos, Miller, Ricky Peterson and Steve Rando. It looked like Weaver might run away and hide until he slipped over the narrow cushion in turn two on lap three, falling back to sixth as Foos took over the point over Rall, Miller, Peterson and Rando.

Foos began to pull away with Miller taking over the runner-up spot on lap six, bringing Peterson to third and Weaver to fourth. Foos padded his lead lap after lap while the battle for second was entertaining between Miller, Peterson and Weaver. Foos found lapped traffic with 12 laps to go but still maintained a big advantage over Peterson, Miller, Weaver, Rall, Nate Dussel, Kyle Capodice and Seth Schneider. While Foos continued to pull away the battle for second continued to heat up between Peterson, Weaver and Miller as the position changed every lap.

With three laps to go Foos made contact with a lapped car entering turn three with both spinning, just after Miller had taken second from Peterson. When the green flew Miller pulled away for the win over Weaver, Peterson, Schneider (from 12th) and Capodice.

Attica Raceway Park will be off for two weeks for the Attica Independent Fair before returning to action Friday, Aug. 18 on WNWO Channel 24/UBS Financial Services/Tusing Builders Night. It will be a FAST point night for both the 410 and 305 sprints and an Attica/Wayne County Speedway Late Model Series Challenge event as well.

For more information go to www.atticaracewaypark.com or follow the track on Twitter @atticaracewyprk or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/atticaracewaypark and Instagram at attica_raceway_park.